Bandai to Relaunch Tamagotchi Pet

Updated Feb. 4, 2004 4:57 p.m. ET

Japan's popular digital pet from the 1990s, is coming back. And this time Tamagotchi will be able to date, fall in love and even have babies. Launched in 1996 but discontinued in 1998, Tamagotchi was an egg-shaped, pocket-sized gadget with a cartoon pet that appeared on a screen. Owners reared it by punching buttons that would feed the creature, play games with it or groom it. In time, the pet "grew" from an infant into a virtual adulthood, and better players could make it live longer. The new, souped-up Tamagotchi Plus goes on sale in Japan on March 20 for &yen;1,980 ($19), and will be introduced...